CHICAGO (NewsNation Now) — An upper airway stimulator implant from a Minnesota-based company may potentially help regulate breathing for sleep apnea patients and provide an alternative to other therapies.

Sleep apnea is a serious condition that occurs when a person’s breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep.

“It’s a real problem. This puts a lot of stress on all our vital organs and that’s why it can lead to increased risk of things like strokes and heart attacks,” Dr. Michael Awad, a sleep surgeon at Northwestern Medicine told NewsNation affiliate WGN. “And now we’ve seen increased literature that it is associated with increased Alzheimer’s risk.”

The upper airway stimulator implant helps regulate the airway by targeting the source of blockage in sleep apnea patients. Implanted in the chest, the device by Inspire Medical Systems is connected to the patient’s tongue. If the tongue starts to obstruct the airway during sleep, the tongue is stimulated pushing it forward.

“Anybody who is suffering from sleep apnea who hasn’t had success with traditional other therapies or those looking to get off of CPAP may be considered for this type of procedure,” Awad said.

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy is a common treatment for sleep apnea. The patient sleeps with a machine that uses a mask or nosepiece with a hose that delivers constant and steady air pressure.

The device’s battery in the chest lasts up to 12 years and then will need to be replaced. There are risks associated with the procedure like permanent tongue numbness.

NewsNation affiliate WGN contributed to this report.